I teach 9 grade 8 & 9 girls bible study classes 3 times a week and spend about 2 hours after school hours with those same girls in a discipleship group. When the director of the school told me she had been reading a novel to her girls and talking about biblical topics, I had the brilliant idea to read "Hinds Feet in High Places" a book that was very significant in my spiritual journey. After three classes last week, I found a pattern... I was reading them to sleep, literally at least half of the girls would fall asleep despite me yelling at them, making them do jumping jacks, and threatening with detention. At this point, I was ready to go the distance with these girls without ever seeing sign of seeds planted.
For our next class I planned something else since they couldn't stay awake, I went straight to God's Word, Romans 12 and taught an inductive bible study method (observe, interpret, apply). We talked about gifts and I asked them each to identify their gift in the list or have their friends identify it. They loved it! Our application was to put our spiritual gifts into action in a specific way and report back.
Today we started class and I asked them to report back and a couple actually did with some very general answers, then one girl (Mimitha) raised her hand and asked, "How do you live out the gift of leadership"? Great question! I gave her examples, one of which was to lead people who were heading in the wrong direction with their behavior back to the path God desires for us, at this point I had only lost two to an afternoon nap. I watched her process my words, and the next thing I know she's giving the elbow to my two nappers and telling them to sit up and listen as we study God's Word!
Nothing has more power than the Word of God! Nothing!
No comments:
Post a Comment